Knotter



Aug. 2, 1938. T. c. BR'OML'EY Em 2 25,4

KNOTTER Filed June 21, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 7/9 0777425[/iarlcxs Bra; ("6

" My V ATTORNEYS 2, 1938. 'r. c. BROMLEY El AL 2,125,423

KNOTTER Filed June 21', 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 2 H/{A/ 1 Fig.1? 25 m9INVENTOR BY MW? ATTORNEYS Aug. 2, 1938. T; c. BROMLEY ET AL ,4

KNOTTER Filed June 21, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 7770ma$ Ovariesfiro mie Patented Aug. 2, 1938 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNOTTERApplication June 21, 1937, Serial No. 149,412

10 Claims.

This invention .relates to knotters, and particularly to knotters of thetype used for tying weavers knots.

More particularly stated, the invention relates to knotters of thegeneral type disclosed in Tatlock Patent 1,983,953, granted December 11,19.34; In this type of knotter the threads to be tied are disposed inguiding and positioning notches and are initially substantiallyparallel. When the knotter is operated the ends of the threads arecrossed and the tying bill is rotated and moves downwardly between thetwo crossed ends at one side of the knotter and upwardly on the oppositeside, one end of the crossed threads at the opposite side being severedby a knife carried by the tying bill, and the other end being severed byshears, the end being severed by the tying bill knife being held in thetying bill until the knot has been pulled tight and stripped from thebill.

This invention has for its salient object to provide a simple andpractical knotter of the character described that will have a minimumnumber of parts and can be economically manufactured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a knotter of the characterdescribed so constructed and arranged that the knot will be tied quicklyand efiiciently and will be pulled tight as it is stripped from thetying bill.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingspecification taken in con nection with the drawings which form a partof this application, and in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one sideof the knotter illustrating the thread guiding and positioning means inthe position taken before the knotter is operated;

Fig. 2 is a. view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the thread guiding andpositioning means in the position taken after the operating lever of theknotter has been depressed and the ends of the thread on the side of theknotter illustrated have been crossed;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the opposite side of theknotter and the thread guiding and positioning means in the positiontaken prior to the operation of the knotter;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the thread guidingand positioning means shown in Fig. 3 in the position taken after theknotter lever has been depressed to actuate the guiding and positioningmeans and cross the ends of the threads;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view taken from one side of the knotter withthe side plate removed to disclose the operating mechanism in theposition of the parts prior to the operation of the knotter;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, illustrating the parts in thepositions taken after the operation of the knotter;

Fig. '7 is an elevational view illustrating the operating levers for theknife or shear which cuts one of the thread ends, prior to the operationof the shear;

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 7 but illustrating the parts in thepositions taken after the operation of the shear, or with the shearblade closed;

Fig. 9 is a top plan View of the knotter on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation taken through the main supporting blockand tying bill;

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the tying bill and block and adjacentparts, this view being taken at right angles to Fig. 10;

Figs. 12 and 13 are transverse sectional elevations taken substantiallyon lines l2-l2 and l3-l3 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the main supporting block;

Fig. 15 is a top plan view of the block; and

Figs. 16-20 inclusive, are fragmentary perspective views illustratingthe successive positions of the knotter parts from their initialpositions prior to the operation of the knotter to the final positionstaken after the knot has been tied, the successive positions of thethreads during the tying of the knot being illustrated in connection 35with these figures.

The invention briefly described consists of a simplified construction ofweavers knotter in which substantially all of the operative parts arecarried by or mounted on a supporting block, to which the side plates ofthe knotter are secured. The knotter includes guiding and positioninglinks or levers disposed within the side plates and operated by leveractuating means carried by the supporting block and set in operation bythe main actuating hand operated lever which is also pivoted on theblock. The knotter also includes levers and lever actuating means forthe knife or shear which are also carried by the supporting block andare actuated by the same actuating lever.

In the construction of the knotter illustrated. the supporting bracketfor the cutter is formed integral with one of the side plates, thisplate being flanged at the front end and bent back- 55 :lug 58. thethreads which extend beyond the side plate wardly into position parallelto the plane of the side plate to form the supporting bracket. Therotatable knotter bill is mounted in and supported on the mainsupporting block and can be easily and quickly assembled thereon orremoved therefrom. The bill'is rotated. by means of a rack formedintegral with the main actuating lever which engages a pinion formed onthe hub or main bearing portion of the knotter bill.

Further details of the invention appear from the following description.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in thedrawings, the knotter parts are all carried by and mounted on a mainsupporting block 25 to which are secured side plates 26 and 21 by screws28.

A second or inner plate is secured between each side plate and theblock, these inner plates being designated 29 and 38, the inner plates 5being spaced from the block by washers 3| and the outer plates beingspaced from the inner plates by washers 32..

The handle for the knotter which 'is shown at 35 in Fig. 9 has formedthereon an arm 36 which is secured by a nut 31 to a lug 38 formed on theblock'25, the arm 36 also being engaged by a pin or stud 39 whichextends through and issecured in an opening 48 in the block 25.

- The operating lever 4| is pivoted on the pin 39, the pin 39 being heldagainst rotation in the opening 48 by means of a pin 42. Aspring 43 hasone end 44 secured to ahead 45 formed on the, pin 39, the other end ofthe'spring, as shown at 46, being hooked around the rear edge of theoperating lever 4|. The spring 43 is: tensioned to normally hold thelever 4| in the position shown in Fig. 5, this position being determinedby the engagement of a lug 41 formed on the lever 4| with the bottomportion 48 of the block 25.

' The side plate 21 has formed on the front end thereof an upwardlyextending prong or In their initial positions the ends of has alsoformed thereon an upwardly extending lug 5'lhaving a notch 58 at thebase thereof.

The lever 56 hasa notch 59 formed in'the front edge thereof and the rearend of the lever "56 ispivoted at 68 to an arm 6| of a' bell crank leverwhich in turn is pivoted at 62 to the block 25 and extends beyond thepivot 62 to form the other arm 63 of the bell crank lever. Arm63 hasformed thereon a pin 64 which extends in the opposite direction from thepivot pin 68 at the upper end of the arm 6 I.

'All of the parts of the knotter are actuated by the operation of themain operating lever 4|, this lever having its central portion cut out,as shown at 65, to form a series of actuating and controlling cams.

At the lower edge of the cut out portion 65 there is formed a notch 78in which the pin 64 is initiaily seated. As soon as the lever 4| isrotated from the initial position shown in Fig. 5 in a clockwisedirection, thebell tc'theposition shown in Fig.6 'I'he'rotation of thebell crank lever will cause the thread positioning and guiding membersor levers to be actuated to cross the ends of the threads in the mannershown in Fig. 17.

When the bell crank lever 6|, 63 has been rotated in the mannerdescribed, the pin 64 will engage an arcuate edge or surface H of thecut out portion 65 of the lever 4|, the bell crank lever thus being heldin its actuated position against further displacement until theoperating lever 4| has returned to its initial position.

From the showing in Fig. 9 it will be noted that the lever 56 ispositioned between the side plate 21 and the plate 38, the lever havingan 'to crossed position, as shown in Fig. 17, it being understoodthatthese ends are engaged by and positioned in the notches 59 and 58.Furthermore, as the ends of the threads are so moved they "will bepositioned between the levers "52 and 56, thus being frictionally heldand tensioned. v

The other plate 26 has formed on its front end a pair ofupwardlyextending tines or prongs 15 and 16 for properly positioning-theends of the threads which extend beyond the' side plate 26.

A lever Tl similar to the lever 52 is pivoted at 18 to the side plate 26and is also pivoted at its rear end at 19 to the front end of a link orlever 88, the rear endof the lever 88 being pivoted at 8| to anactuatingarm 82 which is carried by or mounted on a spindle 'orshaft 83.The shaft 83 is rotatably mounted in'the block 25 and is secured at itsother end to the bell crank lever 6|, 63 at 62.

The lever 11 has formed on its upper end a hook 85 and a hook 86 isformed on the upper end of the front end of the lever 88.

As the levers 11 and 88 are actuated by the actuation of the bell cranklever 6|, 63, the lever 86 will be moved forwardly, thus causing thelever 11 to move rearwardly. During this movement the two ends a and bof the threads A and B which are positioned in the notches 81 and 88formed by the tines or prongs 15 and 16, will be crossed in the mannershown in Fig. 1'7.

In order to assist in guiding the threads into their initialsubstantially parallel position, a finger 98 carried by a plate orbracket 9| is mounted on the side plate 26 and extends transverselyacross the knotter, as shown particularly in Fig.

plate 26: This forms a U-shaped bracket for supporting the knife orshear by which the'endof one of the threads adjacent the. plate 26 issevered. The shear comprises a fixed blade I88 which is secured in theU-shaped bracket formed at the front end of the plate 26' and a pivotedblade i8! which is mounted'on a pivot 182. The rear end of the pivotedblade I8! has secured'ther'eto' and extending laterally therefrom a pin13 which'is positioned in a slot I84 formed in. the irontend of a lever|85 mounted on a stud or pin I86 carried by the block 25. The rear endof the lever I is bifurcated or forked, as shown at I01. The lever I05is actuated by means of an arm I08, one end of which is positioned inthe fork I01, the other end of the arm being secured to a spindle orshaft I09 mounted in the block 25 and extending therethrough to theopposite side thereof.

a The other end of the spindle or'shaft I09 has secured thereto an arm||0' which has mounted on the upper end thereof and projecting laterallytherefrom a pin III. The pin III is disposed in the opening 65 of themain operating lever 4| and is actuated by a cam slotl I5 whichcommunicates with the opening 65 and extends upwardly from the upper endthereof. It will thus be seen that the pin II I and arm I II] willremain in their initial position until the operating lever 4| has nearlycompleted its operative movement. However, when the pin l I I enters thecam slot I I 5 the arm I I0 will actuate the shaft or spindle I09 towhich the arm I08 is secured. The arm I08 will then move in a clockwisedirection from the position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shown inFig. 8, thus closing the shear or moving the pivoted shear blade I0!into coacting relation to the fixed blade I00 and severing the end a ofthe thread A.

The rotating bill is constructed and actuated in the following manner:The bill proper comprises a pair of upwardly extending parallel tines H6and Ill, between which is positioned a pivoted knife or blade H8. Theblade 8 is pivoted at H9 and in back of the. pivot the blade takes theform of a flat cam plate I20. The plate is slotted at |2| and a pin |22carried by the shank I23 of the bill extends through the slot |2|. Thecam plate I20 engages the undersurface I24 of an arcuate plate I 25having an upwardly extending flange I26 at the rear end thereof securedto the block 25 by screws I21. The contour of the cam plate I20 is sodesigned that as the tying bill is rotated the'engagement of the edge ofthe cam plate I20 with the arcuate plate I25 will cause the blade H8 toopen at a predetermined position in the rotation of the tying bill, sothat the end b of the thread B will be positioned between the openedblade and the tines H6 and Ill of the tying bill and will be severed bythe knife I I8, the severed end being held in position until the knot isstripped from the tying bill. This position of the parts is illustratedparticularly in Fig. 17.

The tying bill shank I23 has formed thereon a hub I30, the tubhaving aperipheral groove I3I formed therein, in which is positioned the innerend of a screw I32 carried by the block 25. Thus, the tying bill can beeasily assembled on or removed from the block. The rear end of the hubI30 has formed thereon or secured thereto a pinion I 33 which is engagedby a rack I34 which is formed on a flange I35 on the lever 4|. A spindleI36 extends rearwardly from the pinion I 33 and is positioned in a boreI3'| formed in the block I35.

The operative movement of the lever 4| and rack I34 is limited by theengagement of a lug I38 which extends laterally from the lever 4| withthe upper surface I39 of the block 25.

After the knot has been tied it is removed from the tying bill by meansof a stripper I40. The stripper I40 consists of a lever which is pivotedat MI to the block 25. A tail I42 of the stripper lever extendsrearwardly from the pivot MI and a hook or lug I43 extends downwardlytherefrom below the pivot I4 I. The forward end of the lever consists ofa hook I44 which extends upwardly and a curved portion I45 between thehook I44 and the pivot MI.

The stripper is actuated by an upwardly and forwardly extending curvedlug I41 which is secured to the main operating lever 4|. The stripperlever is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 5 by the engagementof the rear edge of the curved portion 45 with the washer 3|. During theinitial portion of the movement of the operating lever 4| the lug I41moves downwardly without causing any movement of the stripper leveruntil the undersurface of the lug |4| engages the lug I43 carried by thestripper lever. Thereupon, the stripper lever is swung upwardly at arelatively rapid rate and by its engagement with the threads thestripper strips the knot from the tying bill. As the lever 4| is swungback to its initial position under the action of the spring 43, thestripper will return to its normal position shown in Fig. 5 under theaction of gravity, and also by the action of lug I4! with the tail I42.

Operation The operation. of the knotter will be clear from theillustration in Figs. 16-20, inclusive. The threads are first placedacross the knotter in the manner shown in Fig. 16 whereupon the lever 4|is swung downwardly or in a clockwise direction. The operation of thelever will cause the actuation of the levers 55 and and of the levers 52and 11 which are pivoted thereto. The actuation of these elements willcause the ends of the threads to be crossed in the manner shown in Fig.17. The operation of the lever 4| also causes the rotation of the tyingbill which passes downwardly in the manner shown in Fig. 17 and thenmoves upwardly, during the upward movement the knife blade I I8 carriedby the tying bill being opened and the end b of the thread B beingpositioned between the knife blade and the tying bill tines H6 and H1 inthe manner shown in Fig. 18. Also, the actuation of the operating leverwill cause the pivoted shear blade |0| to move upwardly as the leverapproaches the limit of its operative movement, as shown in Fig. 6, theshear blade causing the end a of the thread A to be severed in themanner shown in Fig. 19.

As the operating lever 4| approaches the limit of its operative movementthe lug I41 will engage the lug I43 on the stripper lever, thus movingthe stripper in an anticlockwise direction about the pivot MI andcausing the knot to be stripped from the tying bill. Upon the release ofthe lever 4| the lever will return to its initial position under theactuation of the spring 43.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that a simple,practical and compact knotter has been designed and that this knottercomprises a minimum number of parts and will operate efficiently toperform the desired functions.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularlyshown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capableof modification and that changes in the construction and in thearrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in thefollowing claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a knotter, a supporting block, side plates secured thereto, athread guiding and positioning lever pivoted to each side plate adjacentthe front end thereof and a second thread positioning and guiding leverpivoted to each of said first levers and movable in a direction oppositethereto, actuating means pivoted in said block and pivoted to each ofsaid second levers, and an operating 'lever pivoted to said block andhaving a cam saidlever actuating means. I

2. In a. knotter, a supporting block, side plates secured thereto,athread guiding and positioning lever pivoted to each side plateadjacent the front end thereof anda second thread positioning andguiding lever pivoted to each of said first levers and movable in adirection opposite thereto, actuating means pivoted in said block andpivoted to each of said second levers, and an operating lever pivoted tosaid block and having a cam formed therein for actuating and controllingsaid lever actuating means, said lever actuating means comprising a bellcrank lever on one side of the block and a lever arm on the other sideof the block, said bell crank lever and arm being connected to a shaftextending transverselythrough the block, one ,arm of the bell cranklever engaging the operating lever cam. I

3. In a knotter, a supporting block, side plates secured thereto, athread guiding and positioning lever pivoted to each side plate adjacentthe front end thereof and a second thread positioning and guiding leverpivoted to each of said first levers and movable in a direction oppositethereto, actuating means pivoted in said block and pivoted to each ofsaid second levers, and an operating lever pivoted to said block andhaving a cam formed therein foractuating and controlling said leveractuating means, said thread positioning and guiding levers beingdisposed inside the side plates.

4. In a knotter, a supporting block, side plates, a thread guiding andpositioning lever pivoted to each side plateadjacent the front endthereof and a second thread positioning and guiding lever pivoted toeach of said first levers and movable ina direction opposite thereto,actuating means pivoted in said block and pivoted to each of said secondlevers, and an operating lever having a cam formed therein for actuatingand controlling said lever actuating means.

5. In a knotter, a pair of Side plates, means connecting the sideplates, thread guiding and positioning means adjacent each side plate,an operating lever, means operated by the lever for actuating the threadguiding and positioning means, one side plate having its front end benttransversely and back on itself substantially parallel to the plane ofthe side plate to form a U- shaped bracket, a cutter comprising astationary and a pivoted blade mounted in said bracket, a leverconnected to the pivoted blade, means mounted on the plate connectingmeans for actuating the lever for the pivoted blade, an operating lever,and means including a cam on the operating lever for operating pivotedblade actuating lever, said cam being operative as the oper- .atingleverapproaches the limit of its operative movement."

6. In a knotter, a supporting block, .side plates mounted thereon,thread guiding and positioning means adjacent each side plate forcrossing the ends of the threads to be tied, a tying bill having a shankrotatably mounted in said block and having a pinion thereon, and anoperating lever for the knotter pivoted on said block and having a rackengaging said pinion.

7. In a knotter, a supporting block, side plates mounted thereon, threadguiding and positioning means adjacent each sideplate for crossing theends of the. threads to be tied, a tying bill having a shank rotatablymounted in said block and having a pinion thereon, and an operatinglever for the knotter pivoted on said block andhaving a rack engagingsaid pinion, said tying bill shank and saidblock having coacting meansincluding .a groove in the shank and aremovable pin in the block forholding the shank against longitudinal movement in the block.

8. In a knotter having meansto position a pair of threads in spacedrelation thereacross, means at the sides of the knotter for crossing theend portionsof said threads, a tying bill, means to rotate the tyingbill, a thread severing device and a stripper, and an operating leverhaving a cut out portion so formed as to provide a plurality of cams forsuccessively actuating the thread crossing means and thread severingmeans, said lever also having means for actuating the tying bill and thestripper.

9. In a knotter, a supporting block, side plates secured thereto andspa'cedtherefrom, levers disposed adjacent each side plate for crossingthe -10. In a knotter, a supporting block, side plates,

' a tying bill having a hub mounted for rotation in said block, a pinionformed on the hub, an operating lever having a rack meshing with thepinion, and coacting means on the block and hub for holding the huband-bill against longitudinal movement inthe block, said block bore inwhich the hub is mounted, said pinion and said hub being so dimensionedthat the bill, hub and hub pinion can be withdrawn from the block whenthe holding means is removed.

THOMAS CHARLES BROMLEY. GUY STQRR HELLIWELL.

